1991 N/A

Fresh rebuild. Went get start the car for the first time and all of a sudden I see smoke coming up out of the engine bay. ACK! Turns out that a ground wire that bolts to the fire wall (right next to the wiper motor) to the top of the transmission bellhousing was getting super hot and began melting the insulation off of the wire! It only did it when under starter load. If the ignition is just turned on it doesn't get warm at all.

I began to think I may have put that particular wire in the wrong spot but it's clearly some ground...I think. And I never pulled the tranny out of the car so I never had a reason to unbolt it so I'm pretty sure it's where it was when I got the car.

My guesses were that the ground wasn't making connection well enough or maybe the starter itself isn't grounded well. Another ground wire I've missed?

I figured I'd ask here for some help before I made any guesses and burnt more crap up. Bleh. If a photo of the wire in question is needed, leme know and I'll snap one.

I'm trying to make all you NA owners proud and I can't even get the **** to start without electrical bulljive! GRR!

 

You've missed the main ground at the starter, or the cable is in bad shape.

 

I figured it was something along those lines, I just couldn't find anything about that particular wire on the forum. I'll go ahead and replace that ground and double check the starter ground! Thank ya!